Ho Ho Ho!

This week's theme challenge at Christmas Card Throwdown is "Christmas Critters." I have had the "Candy Claus" stamp from Stampendous (discontinued) for at least a couple of years, and have never inked it up! I finally decided to pull it out for this challenge.

I cut a panel of Strathmore Vellum Bristol paper to 5-1/2x4-1/4". This image is rather large (about 5x3-1/4"), so I knew I would need the maximum amount of real estate for an A2 card. I stamped the image with Memento Tuxedo Black ink. I was glad I used my MISTI stamp positioning tool, since I had to stamp it a few times to get a good impression. I then colored it with my Prismacolor colored pencils. After I finished coloring, I used a black fine-tip pen to add a few more dots to the snow area, as the dots in the stamp kind of stopped short at either end. By extending the area of dots, I just feel it gives a smoother look.

The greeting turned out to be the trickiest part of the whole card. I planned to use a die from the "Delightful Day Conversation Bubbles" set by Taylored Expressions (discontinued), with the "Ho Ho Ho!" greeting from the October 2020 My Monthly Hero kit (discontinued). Unfortunately, the only speech bubble die that came close to being the right size was both a bit too long & in the wrong orientation for my design. I had to think about it for a few minutes, but finally tested to see if I could do partial die cutting to shorten the speech bubble. I just cut a scrap of cardstock, & ran it through my die cutting machine, making sure the die hung out of the plates where I didn't want to cut it. Then I slid the die over, and finished the cut. And it worked like a charm! Plus, I could flip the die cut over to get the bubble in the right direction. When I die cut for real (using Simon Says Stamp's Fog cardstock), I placed another scrap of cardstock between the Fog piece & my cutting plate, so the impressions in the plate wouldn't mar the Fog cardstock. After I die cut the final piece, I stamped my greeting with Versafine Onyx Black ink onto the back of the speech bubble. Finally, I adhered my card panel to a white A2 card base, & glued down my greeting bubble. I really love how this card came out! I will send it to Send a Smile 4 Kids, hopefully to bring a smile to a hospitalized child's face.

I'm also entering this card in Send a Smile 4 Kids' "Holiday/Celebration Cards 4 Kids" challenge.

Happy Birthday #2

The son of a friend of my mom's recently turned 2 years old. My mom asked me if I had any birthday cards that were appropriate for a young child. I didn't, so I created this one.

I stamped the bear & party hat, from Lawn Fawn's "Really High Five" set, onto scraps of Strathmore Vellum Bristol paper. I used my Prismacolor colored pencils to color them in. Because the balloon I would die cut wouldn't have an outline, I decided to fussy-cut the images so they would match better. Thankfully, they weren't too hard to cut out! After I cut them out, I "painted" the edges of each with a black brush-tip marker, to camouflage the white core of the paper & give a cleaner appearance.

I die cut the star balloon from Lawn Fawn's "Party Balloons" set & stamped the "2" from Lawn Fawn's "Quinn's 123s" onto that. I heat embossed the (outline) number, then colored it in with a Versamarker pen & applied more embossing powder. I used my heat gun to melt the powder for a custom balloon. I added shading to the balloon with a blue colored pencil, just so it didn't look so flat.

For the background, I added clouds with the My Favorite Things "Rolling Clouds" stencil & Tumbled Glass Distress ink. They are light, but they are there. I matted that with a rainbow striped paper from the "Party Boy" 6x6" patterned paper pad from Photoplay. I glued my balloon in place & tied a bow from crochet twine around the balloon neck. I "sealed" the knot of the bow with a little liquid glue. I glued the bear on the background, & glued the one end of the twine to his paw, so he can "hold" the balloon string. I also glued the party hat on top of his head.

I heat embossed my greeting - also from "Really High Five" - onto a scrap of blue cardstock. I cut it into 2 labels, & added them to my card at angles for a more playful feel.

I'm entering my card in the following challenges:

The Paper Funday Challenge #45: "Anything Goes" (not playing the twist)

Stay Crafty with a Blog Named Hero September Challenge: "Die-lightful"

Double Trouble Challenge #121: "Punch It Out" (had a can of soda during my crafty session)

Poinsettia Pop-Up Card

I created this card for Christmas Card Throwdown's September Technique Challenge: "Pop Up Card." I followed a tutorial on Splitcoaststampers.com for the pop-up mechanism.

I began by creating my card base & flower pot, as per the instructions in the tutorial. I did that first, so I could have a sense of how large each flower could be & how many I would need. I used a plaid patterned paper from the Recollections "Christmas Plaids" 6x6" pad for my base, since it made me think of a holiday tablecloth. I found a dark green cardstock in my scrap stash for the pot itself.

I die cut a total of 8 poinsettias (Poppystamps "Blooming Poinsettia") from Bazzill "Cherry Splash" cardstock, & used Bazzill "Caramel Apple" cardstock for the green background leaves on the poinsettias. I found a super bright yellow-green cardstock in my scraps, that I used for the flower centers. For the filler greenery in my arrangement, I used 3 dies from the "Mini Holiday Greens" set by Tim Holtz for Sizzix. I cut the holly leaves from "Caramel Apple" & the sprigs from a slightly darker green scrap.

I glued the layers of my flowers together, & after the glue set up, added the flower centers. I used glue dots to adhere the flowers themselves to the acetate support pieces I'd added to the pot. For the greenery filler pieces, I just kind of stuck each one into the arrangement & added a bit of glue to each to stick them to the flowers. It was enough glue to hold everything in place, while still keeping the whole arrangement full & "fluffy."

Detail photo of greeting strip

I heat embossed the greeting, from Hero Arts' October 2020 My Monthly Hero Kit stamp set (discontinued), with Ranger Gold Super Fine Detail embossing powder. I used an "Essential Stitched Sentiment Strips" die to cut it out. The die was a bit too long, so I had to do partial die cutting to shorten it. I added that to the card base with foam adhesive squares, leaving a space with no adhesive for the belly band to fit under the right end.

I'm also entering this card in the following challenges:

Double Trouble Challenge #121: "Punch It Out"

The Paper Funday Challenges #45: "Anything Goes" (not playing the twist)

Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge: "Emboss It" (heat embossed greeting)

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge: "Anything Goes"

Stay Crafty with A Blog Named Hero September Challenge: "Die-lightful"

Dragonfly Good Vibes

I have had the Sweet 'n Sassy Stamps "Dragonfly Dreams" stamp set for several months, & had yet to get it inky. I finally had some time to play recently, & decided to break out this set & try some ink color combinations. I actually created 3 dragonflies, die cut with the coordinating dies. This is one that I used on my card. The design is from Operation Write Home's Sketch #B-15.

I first die cut the dragonfly from white cardstock. This is a builder stamp set, so I just figured it would be easier to get everything lined up right if I die cut first. I started with the base layer for the wings. I chose a few colors of Distress Oxide inks, & used sponge daubers to apply the ink to the wings. I began with Salvaged Patina in the center, then moved out to Seedless Preserves, Villainous Potion, Uncharted Mariner, and finally Wilted Violet at the tips. I had hoped the colors would blend more smoothly, but I think they came out OK in the end.

For the overlay of the wings, I heat embossed with Ranger Clear Holographic embossing powder. I figured it would be a great way to add some sparkle & shine to the wings. I stamped the first layer of the body with Lawn Fawn's Hippo ink, then went over it with StazOn Jet Black ink. The two middle legs overlap the wings, & I needed the StazOn ink for it to show up on the heat embossed area.

I die cut a circle from tan cardstock, & ink blended it with Brushed Corduroy Distress ink, then inked the edges with Walnut Stain Distress ink. I stamped the Concord & 9th "Weathered Wood Background" on that with Ground Espresso Distress Oxide ink.

I cut a piece of patterned paper from The Paper Studio's "Peaceful Meadows" mat stack pad to size, & adhered it to a 4-1/4" square card base. I glued my circle to the top of my card base, making sure it didn't make it taller than 5-1/2", so it would still fit in an A2 size envelope. I glued my dragonfly to that. Finally, I adhered my greeting strip, which was a gift from another card maker.

I'm entering this card in the following challenges:

Double Trouble Challenge #121: "Punch It Out" (die cut dragonfly & circle)

Use Your Stuff Challenge #467: "Woodgrain"

Hero Arts September Challenge: "Die-lightful"

Paperfunday Challenge #45: "Anything Goes" (playing the optional Thinking of You twist)

Squirrelly Happy Halloween

Challenge #200 at Dies R Us challenge blog is "Anything Goes with any brand of die DRU sells." I have been in full-on Halloween card creating mode, to send several to Send a Smile 4 Kids. I came across Sketch #SC866 at Splitcoaststampers.com, & thought, if you turn it sideways, it looks like a stepped wall. What else to do but put a bunch of Jack-o'-Lanterns - that 2 squirrels have dutifully carved - on the "steps"? I used stamps & dies from Lawn Fawn's "Pick of the Patch" set for this card.

I stamped the pumpkins, squirrels, knife, & scoop onto Strathmore Smooth bristol paper with Versafine Onyx Black ink. I used my Tombow markers to color everything, & add a bit of detail to the pumpkins. Then I stamped the faces on the Jack-o'-Lanterns. Finally I die cut everything with the coordinating dies.

For the wall, I cut the stepped levels into a piece of grey cardstock. I used the "Small Brick Wall" stencil from My Favorite Things to stencil the bricks. I used 2 colors of Distress ink - Rusty Hinge & Fired Brick - to add a bit of "life" to the bricks. I used the other half of the grey cardstock to create the ledges at the tops of the steps. I adhered it to the back of the wall panel so it stuck about 1/8" above the bricks, & then trimmed off the vertical bits so it was just a ledge on each step.

I used My Favorite Things' "Mini Cloud Edges" stencil & Salvaged Patina Distress ink to do the sky on a panel of white cardstock. I stamped the greeting onto a scrap of green cardstock with Lawn Fawn's Jalapeno ink. Then I die cut the top of the grass with a "Grassy Fields" die (discontinued), also from My Favorite Things.

I adhered the wall to my stenciled background, & added the grass, applying ATG adhesive only to the bottom part of the strip. That way I could tuck my pumpkin & one of the squirrels behind the grass. I glued all the images onto my card. I added some shine to the squirrels' noses with a black glaze pen, & that finished this card.

I'm also entering this card in the following challenges:

Send a Smile 4 Kids: "Cute Fall/Halloween Cards 4 Kids"

Through the Craft Room Door: "Anything Goes"

Simon Says Stamp's Wednesday Challenge: "Stamp It"

When It Rains

First view of pop-up

The current Lawn Fawnatics challenge is to "Change the Scene." I admittedly went a bit "dramatic" with my card, with a complete change of scene!

Jennifer McGuire's tutorial on "Pop-Up Panel Cards" inspired my design direction. I began by creating the front (pop-up) panel. I stamped the bear from Lawn Fawn's "Here for You Bear" (gift with purchase from Lawn Fawn) onto a square of Strathmore vellum bristol paper. I masked him, & stamped the puddle & splash from the same set. I masked off the sky area with yellow Frog tape, & ink blended the ground with Pumice Stone Distress ink. I was going for kind of a concrete walk look. I masked off the ground with the same tape, & inked the sky with Stormy Sky Distress ink. With the bear mask still in place, I also stamped raindrops, from "Rain or Shine Before 'n Afters," in the sky, with Stormy Sky Distress Oxide ink. I unmasked the bear, & used my Prismacolor pencils to color him in. I also added a bit of blue pencil to the puddle & splash, so they look like they "reflect" the sky.

I die cut a scrap of vellum bristol with one of Lawn Fawn's "Puffy Cloud Borders" dies, inked it with Stormy Sky + Pumice Stone Distress inks, & adhered it to the top of my panel. I stamped my greeting, from "Here for You Bear," on that. I then matted the panel with a 1/16" blue cardstock mat, just to help it stand out a bit better from the background. Finally, I used a black glaze pen to go over the bear's eyes & nose.

Second view of pop-up

I cut a slightly smaller square of vellum bristol for the back panel. I stamped the rainbow image from "Rain or Shine Before 'n Afters" on that, & colored it with my colored pencils. I masked it off, & ink blended Tumbled Glass Distress ink for the background sky. I stamped one of the smiley faces in the set on the sun, & finished the greeting with another stamp from "Here for You Bear." I finished by matting that with yellow cardstock.

For my card front, I used 2 patterned papers from Lawn Fawn. (They were a gift with a purchase, so I don't know the names of the collections they are from.) I cut them to 4x5-1/4", & then trimmed each piece in 2 at an angle for a bit of dynamism. I adhered them to a scrap of cardstock, just so I could work with them as one panel.

I put together the pop-up mechanism as per Jennifer's instructions. I did have to make one small alteration, because the larger square wasn't too much bigger than the smaller. Rather than scoring at 2" & 2-1/2", I had to have my score lines only 1/4" apart. It worked in the end, though! Of course, I had to put everything together to figure out that was a problem, and then pull it apart to redo it. Thank heavens for double-sided tape & UnDu adhesive remover!

Once I had the mechanism working, I matted my patterned paper panel with a piece of Bazzill Gumball cardstock that I'd adhered to a white A2-size card base. I stamped "pull" using the "Interactive Labels" stamp set from My Favorite Things on the tab, rounded the corners with my scissors, & that finished this card! I will send it to Send a Smile 4 Kids, where it will hopefully bring joy to a hospitalized child's spirit. 😊

I'm also entering this card in The Paper Funday Challenge's "Anything Goes" challenge #44 (not playing the twist). 

Merry Christmas to You

This week's technique challenge at Christmas Card Throwdown is "CAS/One Layer." I don't consider myself a CAS card maker generally. But I took the challenge, & made this card.

My card admittedly took a few twists & turns during the creation. Taking a page from Jennifer McGuire's playbook, I actually made 4 cards with this design, just changing the greeting for each. This card using Gina K products inspired my initial design. I liked the circle for the greeting in the middle with the heat embossed imagery behind it. I figured with some creative masking, I could make a similar one-layer card. At first, I was going to use that same image from "Holiday Tapestry," but when I laid it on my panel, I just felt it was too big to work for my design. So, to keep more white space, I opted for a snowflake background using Mama Elephant's "Holly's Snowflakes" stamp set instead.

I first heat embossed the circle for around the greeting, from Gina K's "Holiday Wreath Builder." I meant to stamp it in the exact center of my panel, but apparently measuring was not my strength this time, & I got it slightly higher on the panel. Oh, well - no worries! I heat embossed the greeting with the same Ranger Silver Super Fine Detail powder that I'd used on the circle frame.

I die cut a 1-7/8" circle from masking paper, using a Waffle Flower "Additional Circles" die. I used that to mask the greeting area, & cut strips of yellow Frog tape to 1/2" wide to mask the outer border of my panel. I placed the panel in my MISTI, & arranged several of the snowflake stamps on the panel. I picked them all up on the MISTI door, & stamped them in Versamark ink. I used Ranger Silver Pearl embossing powder to heat emboss them. I had expected it to be a bit more subtle, with just a hint of color, but I think it still works OK.

After the heat embossing had cooled, I removed the masks, & used my scoreboard to score a line around the perimeter of where the snowflakes ended. I scored first on the front, so I could see where to mark the lines, & then flipped my panel over to score on those lines from the back, so they would be embossed on the front. I finished by adhering my card front to a white A2-size card base. I don't consider this a mass-producible card, given how fiddly it was to position everything, plus having to mask off the border on each panel. But to create 4 took me about 2 hours give or take, so not too bad.

I'm also entering this card in the following challenges:

Simon Says Stamp's Wednesday Challenge: "Anything Goes"

Simon Says Stamp's Monday Challenge: "Make Your Own Background"

The Paper Funday Challenges #44: "Anything Goes" (not playing the twist)